Say you went to a u-pull-it type wrecking yard and as you were scavenging around in the old stripped out hulks, you saw a new, nearly intact W123/300D being fork-lifted into a new space....

What would you strip out as most valuable parts in order of importance/usefulness as spare parts for back-ups in case of failures?

Thanks for your opinions....

Only the parts you KNOW you need
or
Only the parts you KNOW someone else needs......


There was a perfect w126 Gray interior (dash including) that got crushed at a junkyard here in Memphis last year. I asked folks in the forum if anyone wanted it.....no takers.

I don't pull parts anymore just because they look good. I have 3 blue front seats in pretty good condition and a decent blue backseat .....in storage.....waiting.....

Should I go on?

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daw_two
Germantown, TN

Links:
Sold last car --- 05/2012 1984 300D Light Ivory, Red interior
Cluster Needles Paint
New Old Stock (NOS) parts

Past:
3/2008 1986 300SDL "Coda"
04/2010 1965 190D(c) "Ben"
& many more

I'm having a dumpster delivered for "in case I need them" parts.

x2 on the only what you need.

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

OK... well. I have this W123 I bought cheap for parts and I have stripped off a significant amount of stuff already. I'm just paranoid I might be missing some small gem of a part of electronics bit that I'll regret not taking before it's on it's way to the crusher's tomorrow... and it'll cost my some $100s of bucks to get new...

I grabbed most relays I could already, all the blinker light lens-assemblies, and the door and truck locks, and the list goes on.....

I'll try to avoid the "spare-parts-itis" thing though, so thanks for the warning. Ordering a dumpster... that's funny...!

Glowplug relay, undamaged door-holders, firewall throttle bushing & coupler, Heater blower, window switches, dash switches, late-production vacuum doorlock actuators with the red silicone rod-boots. Right now, I could use a spare manual-AC temperature control. I think (hope) I left one at the house in Virgina Beach.
Since I currently own 3 W123s, Whenever I'm in Virginia Beach, I visit the Pick-N-Pull there and grab any small items I think I could use. Unfortunately, my transport and storage capacity for large items is somewhat limited.

A few months ago, I told two different people that really needed some decent body-parts, about a nice '83 W123 Euro wagon in the Pick-N-Pull, but appparently they couldn't be bothered. I should've grabbed the tailgate if I'd had room for it. I did get both complete Euro bumpers to eventually convert my Euro-TD back to it's original spec.
After 30 days that wagon, with decent fenders, hood and perfect tailgate went to the crusher!

Happy Motoring, Mark

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DrDKW

x2 on the "firewall throttle bushing & coupler" - wish I had one right now seeing the old bushing completely disintegrated...

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Simon Shearer

1986 420SEL

2000 Porsche 911 Millenium Edition Carrera 4
2010 Lexus RX 350
2002 Kia Rio
2002 Hyundai Accent

Keep anything you can remove from the car that you can't get for free later. Nothing is more painful than the realization that you sent that $200 part to the crusher because you would "probably never need it"!

Before it got crushed, I got a spare SLS pump off that Euro wagon for $25. I'm told new ones are $900! And last year, on half-price-day, I grabbed the completer manual heat-AC unit, with blower & controls out of a 240D for $12. Someone had already removed the dash and unbolted the unit, so all I had to do was disconnects some wires & cables. My local MB parts guy recently told me that on the heate-blower alone, the dealer-list is $800!

Happy Motoring, Mark

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DrDKW

I used to pull a lot of things, but turns out there is not a market and I dont like tying up the cash. I will pull euro specific nicknacks like headlights, height controls, bumpers if they are perfect and 3 piece units, trunk triangles etc.. I grab CCU if they have a reman sticker, same with CC amps. the cluster is always sellable, I also look for non mercedes parts like wheels and steering wheels. other than that I only pull something I specifically need. I generally pull a 4 speed if its on half price day. I used my spare when my last one grenaded so I will get the next one I see.

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1982 300CD Turbo (Otis, "ups & downs") parts for sale
2003 TJ with Hemi (to go anywhere, quickly) sold
2001 Excursion Powerstroke (to go dependably)
1970 Mustang 428SCJ (to go fast)
1962 Corvette LS1 (to go in style)
2001 Schwinn Grape Krate 10spd (if all else fails)

injection pump, injectors and cylinder head is what i'd pull for back ups.

if they charge a decent price for the entire engine, why not just grab the whole thing?

Did a 4 speed tranny grenade on you? What gave out?

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DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012

That was me. I pulled the dash for practice. I broke a tab on the unit, so I just left it there.

The part that you'll need is the one you left behind, not the hundred you're storing.

Anyone have a 124 oil-cooler bracket? I left one on the '87 I had crushed.

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

I have that part actually

sure did. That bad vibe I could never get rid of in 3rd and 4th at 1700RPM...... tranny. I was trying to pass and getting on it and bang, it made a horrendous vibration and noise. I thought the drive shaft let go. but I was able to limp home in 1st and 2nd. 3rd and 4th sounded like the gears just came apart. I am pretty sure my long time vibe issue was a chipped or broken tooth on the 3rd/4th shafts. On the good side, my replacement transmission is awesome smooth. I definitely dont see the need for the heavy flywheel now. I like the manual even more now.

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1982 300CD Turbo (Otis, "ups & downs") parts for sale
2003 TJ with Hemi (to go anywhere, quickly) sold
2001 Excursion Powerstroke (to go dependably)
1970 Mustang 428SCJ (to go fast)
1962 Corvette LS1 (to go in style)
2001 Schwinn Grape Krate 10spd (if all else fails)